The Nigerian Senate on Tuesday has upgraded Federal Polytechnic, Offa, Kwara State to university.
The new bill approval has now launched the Offa Poly to a full-fledged Degree awarding the Federal University of Technology.
A bill to establish the School of Mines and Geological Studies, Guyuk has been passed by the Senate on Tuesday.
Also passed was the Federal Universities of Technology Act 2004 (Amendment) Bill, 2022.
The chamber, with the passage of the FUTA (Amendment) bill, gave approval for the upgrade of the Federal Polytechnic, Offa, Kwara State, from a Diploma awarding institution to a full-fledged Degree awarding Federal University of Technology.
The passage of both bills followed the consideration of two separate reports by the Committee on Tertiary Institutions and TETFUND.
Chairman of the Committee, Senator Ahmad Babba Kaita, in his presentation, said that establishing the school of mines and geological studies would provide for the training of middles and junior level manpower for the mineral and mining sector.
He added that it would also facilitate collaboration with other national and international institutions involved in general exploration and mining of precious stones and ore as well as encourage teacher training, research, and general development of teacher education.
The senator representing Kwara South Senatorial District, Senator Oyelola Ashiru, had presented a bill at the plenary for an Act to amend the Federal Universities of Technology Act Cap F23 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004, to establish Federal University of Technology, Offa.
While highlighting the background of the bill, the lawmaker stated the acute shortage of available slots to Nigerian universities for students seeking to get a degree in different courses.
The Joint Admission Matriculation Board (JAMB) said only a few percentage of candidates secure admission due to limited vacancies in Nigerian universities.
The Federal Polytechnic, Offa, was established in 1992 during the administration of Ibrahim Babangida.
The NUC approved the Federal Polytechnic, Offa,to run degree programs effective since 2018/2019 academic session in affiliation with the University of Technology (FUTMINA).
The school is ranked the best affiliated institution in Nigeria by National University Commission (NUC).
The school has been anchoring IJMB program since 2018 in collaboration with Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria.
The Federal Polytechnic, Offa, has a land mass of 1,050 hectares of which 27% is presently in use, with good road networks of 10% tarred.
The lawmaker, while urging the President of the Senate and his colleagues to support his legislative bill had stated that the Federal Government of Nigeria will not incur additional cost in converting the Federal Polytechnic, Offa, to federal University of Technology, Offa.
Recall that the bill was read for the first time in the hallowed chamber on Tuesday, 27th of April, 2021.
The Federal Polytechnic, Offa came into existence in 1992. A presidential pronouncement for it’s establishment was made at the palace of His royal Highness Olofa of Offa; Oba Mustapha Olawoore Olanipekun Ariwajoye 11 by the then President Ibrahim Babangida during a state visit in 1991.
